Kuldeep Yadav, the first left-arm wrist spin bowler to represent the Indian men's cricket team, braved a storm in the last four years. The 28-year-old nursed a knee injury that required surgery, a hairline fracture, and the break from the game helped iron out the flaws in his bowling. With a better rhythm, speed and accuracy in 2023, he is waiting for a crack at the World Cup at home starting October.
On Thursday, Kuldeep's 4/6 against the West Indies in the first ODI at Bridgetown provided a blueprint of his preparation with the white ball. He picked up four wickets in three overs, which included two maidens. It was his second-best performance after the 4/18 against South Africa in Delhi last year.
Kuldeep ran into several gaps in his career since 2017. He would not get picked in all games, owing to strategies related to team combination vis à vis the conditions at the venue. Form was a concern in the interim period as well. Many international batters figured him out since his bowling was more of the flight and less of speed.
Kuldeep 2.0 is a different beast and perhaps deserves a permanent spot in the XI, especially at the World Cup. He has been bowling better lengths. There is rhythm, and he is slightly quicker through the air. His resurgence began in IPL 2022 with 21 wickets in 14 games for Delhi Capitals. And in IPL 2023, he picked up only 10 wickets but maintained a tight economy of 7.37.
Promising start to ODIs in 2023
In nine outings thus far in 2023, Kuldeep has picked up 19 ODI wickets at an economy of 5.25. He was always difficult to read with the flight and drift landing at the batter from a left-hand angle, and now, the added pace has injected zing to his craft. The wrist spinner is no more hungry for wickets. He understands that patience and sticking to the process will lead to success.
Kapil Pandey, his coach in Kanpur for the past 17 years who helps him prepare before every crucial series, feels there is no looking back for Kuldeep now that he has developed patience. "He picked up eight wickets, with 5/20 in the first innings, in the Chattogram Test match in Bangladesh in December last year. He was playing almost after two years. He was the Man of the Match. I felt he would continue the form in white-ball cricket.
"He bowled well in the IPL and has maintained the quality. Maybe he did not get enough chances in international cricket, but he is a hard worker who wants to grab every opportunity. I don't need to coach him anymore. I observe and give him inputs," he told moneycontrol.com.
More googlies in ODI cricket
Even after playing 118 international games across formats for India, he doesn't skip practice in Kanpur during the off-season. "That makes all the difference. He is laborious and dedicated. When he is home, he barely rests for two days and is back at the ground. I don't need to teach him what to do. I step in when he faces a problem. Like in England, he had an issue with the release, and we worked on it. Now his hands have opened up. He is varying the lengths and reading the batters better.
"Shane Warne had once advised him to keep smiling even under tremendous pressure. Now if you see him, he has taken the advice seriously. He is under no pressure," added Pandey.
During the COVID-19-induced break, Kuldeep worked on his speed with Pandey. He did not get enough chances with the Kolkata Knight Riders. "The hard work reflected when Kuldeep picked up 21 wickets with Delhi Capitals in 2021. Now he tries to be little flatter and not rely too much on the flight because people would always talk about the runs he leaked. And not the wickets picked. I have told him to bowl more googlies in ODI cricket on a regular basis as he has more deliveries to play with," said Pandey, who believes a player can go out of form when he doesn't get enough chances.
Catching the length
Kuldeep has been vocal that he is not chasing wickets but length. "Length is crucial for spinners. You may not get wickets even after bowling well. If you focus on your length, wickets will come," he told reporters after the first ODI in Bridgetown.
India has 12 ODI games, including the Asia Cup, before the ICC ODI World Cup. Kuldeep is only thinking about the process and not much about the performances in the upcoming games. "There will always be competition for a spot in the XI, and it is a motivation to do well in the games leading to the World Cup. But there is no pressure. I have been working hard and playing cricket for six years, so I don't think what would I do if I sit out. It has become normal since the combination matters. If I get an opportunity, I will do my best," he added.
Kuldeep has picked 59 wickets in 36 ODIs in India at an economy of 5.81 which augurs well for Rohit Sharma's side ahead of the World Cup. Overall, he has 138 wickets in 82 games with best figures of 6/25 against England in Nottingham.
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